Background
The Global Disability Fund (GDF) (formerly UNPRPD) is a multi-partner trust fund dedicated to advancing disability-inclusive development globally. It supports the implementation of the CRPD and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by providing technical assistance, policy guidance, and financial support to governments, UN agencies, civil society, and businesses.
The GDF is hosted within the UNDP Governance team in the Bureau of Policy and Programme Support (BPPS). The GDF Secretariat operates in accordance with its own Strategic Plan and agreed annual work plan approved by its Steering Committee. As GDF expands its strategic reach and portfolio, it is essential to ensure that its impact, effectiveness, and accountability are continuously monitored and evaluated.
The Grant Management & Finance function within the UN Global Disability Fund MPTF operates in accordance with UN financial regulations, donor requirements, and the 2025–2030 Strategy. The function has been strengthened to address the increasing scale and complexity of programmes and the growing diversity of the donor base. The Grant Management & Finance Coordinator role ensures enhanced financial oversight, risk management, and policy compliance.
UNDP provides integrated programmatic, policy and financing solutions to realise the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this context, UNDP has created a Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan. The Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) and the Crisis Bureau (CB) are the two anchor Bureaux of the GPN.
The Bureau for Programme and Policy Support (BPPS) plays a central role in developing relevant policies and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS designs and implements global projects and provides technical expertise and advisory services to countries and engage in global policy processes across a wide range of thematic and cross-cutting issues, including poverty and inequality, governance, climate change, environment, energy, sustainable finance while ensuring that human rights, gender equality, and social inclusion as central to its approach.
The Crisis Bureau (CB) spearheads UNDP’s efforts to support countries on a key challenge: how to anticipate, prevent, respond to, and recover from fragility and crisis. CB addresses the risks that precipitate crises, prevent early exit from them, and perpetuate long-term dependency on humanitarian assistance. Guided by UNDP’s Crisis Offer (2022), CB works within the GPN and with Regional Bureaux (RBx) and Country Offices (COs) to implement solutions across prevention, response and recovery that help break the cycle of protracted fragility and crisis.
Position Purpose:
The Global Disability Fund (GDF) is seeking a highly qualified Grant Management & Finance Coordinator to lead its end-to-end grant management and financial oversight. This role ensures effective proposal development, donor compliance, financial governance, and risk management in alignment with the 2025–2030 GDF Strategy, which advances disability-inclusive development and global partnerships.
The Coordinator will oversee grant lifecycle management, including supporting proposal development, donor engagement and reporting, financial oversight and governance compliance including risk mitigation. This role fosters strong grant accountability and financial stewardship in a complex multi-stakeholder environment, ensuring funding is secured, allocated efficiently, and aligned with disability inclusion priorities.
The ideal candidate brings expertise in international development, grant and financial management, pooled funding, and multi-stakeholder governance. They should demonstrate leadership in proposal development, financial oversight, compliance including risk management within joint UN programming and disability inclusion initiatives.
This position requires a strategic professional adept at navigating complex funding landscapes, ensuring grant and financial processes work seamlessly and transparently to drive impact. The Coordinator will collaborate with Technical, Partnerships, and Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) teams to strengthen GDF’s grant and financial systems.
The Grant Management & Finance Coordinator reports to the head of GDF Secretariat.
UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Ensure Effective Proposal Coordination (pre-Grant)
Manage relationship with the Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) Office on grant-related financial and administrative matters Develop Terms of Reference (TOR) for proposals and liaise with the technical team to ensure alignment with programme goals Manage end-to-end planning, launch, and implementation of funding rounds for country programmes in alignment with the GDF Strategy Launch and manage the end-to-end proposal submission process, securing necessary approvals from MPTF and programme committees Conduct due diligence on country programmes before grant allocations to assess feasibility and compliance Ensure proposals align with donor requirements and UNDP financial and operational policies. Input into programme design in collaboration with the technical team to align funding with strategic objectives Manage contract drafting and negotiations, guiding agreements through internal approval processes Mediate contract review/negotiations with third parties to ensure alignment with funding and programme needs Liaise with the UN Country Teams on financial and administrative issues related to grant development Maintain working knowledge of the fund agreement process (for both contracts and grants), ensuring proper template usageManage End-to-End Grant Management Lifecycle (post-Grant)
Grant Financial and Administrative Management
Manage all financial and administrative aspects of grants, including planning, budgeting, implementation, and monitoring of programmes Monitor grant disbursements and fund utilization, preparing variance analysis and financial risk assessments Liaise with UN Country Teams on financial and administrative matters related to grant implementation, reporting, and complianceMonitoring and Reporting
Develop and maintain a comprehensive dashboard tracking the financial and operational status of programme proposals, donor financial commitments, and grant expenditures, ensuring alignment with financial targets Oversee annual reporting from countries, coordinating both technical and financial reports to ensure compliance with donor requirements and organizational policies Provide weekly updates to the Technical Secretariat Lead on financial status, compliance issues, programme performance, and risk mitigation strategies Ensure timely and accurate responses to financial inquiries from internal stakeholders and external donorsProgramme Adjustments and Closure
Coordinate grant extensions and cost modifications, ensuring proper documentation and approval processes Manage all programme closures, ensuring compliance with MPTF office requirements and smooth transitions Collaborate with MPTF to complete contract amendments (donors and grantees)Ensure Financial Compliance of Grants
Ensure adherence to UNDP MPTF financial rules, donor conditions, and audit requirement Conduct financial due diligence for grant allocations and monitor compliance across all programmes Develop and manage financial grant monitoring systems to ensure transparency and accountability Provide ongoing financial guidance to Technical Teams to ensure clarity on budget management and resource allocation according to donor policies Monitor programme grant budgets and expenditures against agreed budget lines Design and implement internal controls and risk mitigation strategies to prevent financial discrepancies or fraudEnsure Donor Financial Reporting
Donor Financial Reporting
Develop and maintain donor financial reporting calendars and submission matrices Track and consolidate financial reports from implementing UN agencies, national governments, and other partners Prepare periodic donor financial reports, ensuring compliance with agreed reporting formats and templates Ensure reconciliation of financial data between donor reports, UNDP financial systems, and implementing partner expenditures Work closely with grantees to address financial reporting queries and ensure alignment with donor expectations Ensure timely submission of financial reports in compliance with UNDP financial regulations and donor requirements Coordinate with implementing partners to resolve financial reporting discrepancies and ensure adherence to reporting deadlines Support annual and interim financial reviews of country-level grants, ensuring transparency and accountabilityFinancial Input for Donor Proposals & Additional Funding
Prepare financial sections of donor proposals, ensuring alignment with funding requirements and cost structures Develop detailed budgets and financial projections for new proposals, incorporating cost recovery and program sustainability Provide financial modeling and scenario analysis for multi-year funding commitments Track financial commitments from donors and ensure accurate recording of new contributions in financial systemsSupport the Fund’s Global Progress Report
Lead the financial section of the Fund’s annual report, ensuring accuracy and alignment with overall reportingFacilitate Team Capacity Building and knowledge sharing
Provide financial guidance to Technical teams, ensuring clarity on budget management and compliance requirements Provide strategic oversight and mentorship to the Finance Specialist, ensuring efficient financial reporting, compliance, and internal control measures Support capacity building by guiding the Finance Specialist in grant financial management, donor compliance requirements, and risk mitigation strategiesThe incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Competencies:
Core CoreBehaviouralCompetencies.pdf (undp.org)
Achieve Results:
Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impactThink Innovatively:
Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problemsLearn Continuously:
Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiencesAdapt with Agility:
Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demandsAct with Determination:
Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater resultsEngage and Partner:
Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaborationEnable Diversity and Inclusion:
Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivityPeople Management:
UNDP People: Management Competencies can be found on the dedicated site.
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:
Business Direction & Strategy: System Thinking
Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.